Tools for the family coordinator.
If you have become the person who keeps track of it all, start here. These are the same tools and habits we use with every family we serve.
Anchor Points: a guide for adult children of aging parents
Plain-spoken, practical and written by someone who has done it: how to start the hard conversations, build the care team, manage doctor visits, medications and supplies, catch money mistakes and scams, and make sense of Medicare. New chapters arrive free as they are released.
- The Anchor Points guide (PDF)
- 10-Minute Self-Check
- Doctor Visit Prep Sheet
- Medication List and Change Log
- Free updates as new chapters are released
- Everything in the Guide
- Conversation Starter Cards
- Care Team Directory and Appointment Tracker
- Insurance and Benefits Snapshot
- Supply Reorder Tracker and Monthly Money Check
- Resource Directory
- Tracker workbook for Excel or Google Sheets
- New tools free with each new chapter
Instant download. Every tool is a fillable PDF you can complete electronically or print to fill in by hand. All sales are final; if a file doesn't work, we fix it. See our Terms of sale.
Three checklists worth keeping handy.
Before every doctor visit
Ten minutes of prep makes a 15-minute appointment count.
- Bring the current medication list, vitamins included (get our free Medication Tracker)
- Write down the top three questions, most important first
- Note what has changed since the last visit
- Bring insurance cards and a photo ID
- Ask for the after-visit summary before you leave
The first days after a hospital stay
The trip home is when things are most likely to slip.
- Get written discharge instructions and a medication list before leaving
- Compare the new list against the bottles at home, line by line
- Book the follow-up appointment before the first night home
- Know exactly who to call with questions, day and night
- Confirm any equipment or home health visits are scheduled
Medicare Open Enrollment
Runs October 15 to December 7 each year. Three checks before you renew:
- Are all of their doctors and the pharmacy still in network?
- Is every prescription still covered, and at what cost?
- Compare the total yearly cost, not just the monthly premium
Looking for helpful products? See the products we recommend for comfort and independence at home.
For general information and organizing only. Not medical, legal or financial advice. When we recommend a product, here or in our Amazon storefront, some links may be affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
The Medication Tracker
One place for every prescription, vitamin and over-the-counter product: what it looks like, how much, when, who prescribed it and why. Plus a change log for every start, stop and dose change. It was the first tool our founder made for her own family.
Fillable PDF · prints on letter paper · 3 pages
On a phone? Open it in the free Adobe Acrobat Reader app to type in it.
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The weight of caregiving is real. You don't have to carry it alone.
Our care managers handle the appointments, medications and coordination, so you can go back to being their daughter or son.
Talk with a care manager